Azov Regiment commanders awarded Orders of Gold Star

On behalf of the President of Ukraine, Head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak awarded five Azov Regiment commanders, who have the titles of the Hero of Ukraine and were recently released from Russian captivity, the Orders of Gold Star.

In particular, the highest state awards were given to Commander of the "Azov" separate special purpose regiment of the National Guard Denys Prokopenko, his deputy Svyatoslav Palamar, acting commander of the 36th separate brigade of marines Serhiy Volynskyi, senior officer of "Azov" Oleh Khomenko, and commander of the 12th brigade of the National Guard Denys Shleha, the President’s Office informs.

The award ceremony took place during the meeting of the Head of the President’s Office and First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska with the Azovstal defenders and members of their families in Turkey.

"The units you led made an invaluable contribution to the future victory of Ukraine. You and your subordinates managed to paralyze the enormous forces of the enemy they lacked to occupy larger territories," said Yermak, presenting the orders.

He emphasized that the Azovstal defenders saved many lives in the territories the enemy did not reach.

"You won time and this time was not wasted. Now we are taking back our territories and our people. Ukraine will be free and democratic," he emphasized.

The meeting participants also had a video call with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. The Head of State thanked the servicemen for performing an important combat task in the defense of Mariupol.

The deputy commander of the Azov Regiment, for his part, noted that the battle for Mariupol and all the events that followed, including the liberation from captivity, were a "Ukrainian miracle against fate."

"Everyone understands perfectly well what should have happened to us. There are people here who know what Russian torture and Russian captivity are. And this award is the award of our soldiers. This is the award of our Ukrainian people. I am very proud to be Ukrainian,” Palamar said.

As reported, more than 200 Ukrainian defenders, as well as ten foreigners who fought on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, returned from Russian captivity within the prisoner swap on September 21.

The five freed Azov Regiment commanders will stay in Turkey under the personal security guarantees of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan until the end of the full-scale war.

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